Genomic Insights into Virulence Factors and Multi-Drug Resistance in Clostridium perfringens IRMC2505A.

is a spore-forming, Gram-positive anaerobic pathogen that causes several disorders in humans and animals. A multidrug-resistant strain was isolated from the fecal sample of a patient who was clinically suspected of gastrointestinal infection and had a recent history of antibiotic exposure and diarrhea. The strain was identified by 16s rRNA sequencing as . The strain's pathogenesis was analyzed through its complete genome, specifically antimicrobial resistance-related genes. The IRMC2505A genome contains 19 (, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , and ) antibiotic-susceptible genetic species according to the k-mer-based detection of antimicrobial resistance genes. Genome mapping using CARD and VFDB databases revealed significant (-value = 1 × 10) genes with aligned reads against antibiotic-resistant genes or virulence factors, including phospholipase C, perfringolysin O, collagenase, hyaluronidase, alpha-clostripain, exo-alpha-sialidase, and sialidase activity. In conclusion, this is the first report on from Saudi Arabia that conducted whole genome sequencing of IRMC2505A and confirmed the strain as an MDR bacterium with several virulence factors. Developing control strategies requires a detailed understanding of the epidemiology of , its virulence factors, and regional antimicrobial resistance patterns.